HERPETOLOGY OF ZUNI MOUNTAINS — GEHLBACH 269 



all major vegetational associations below the spruce-fir, but western 

 spadefoots were most abundant in the pinyon-juniper savanna and 

 Plains-Roughlands continuum. The earliest observed egg-laying 

 occurred July 4, 1954, at 6400 feet in a small tank on the eastern 

 soil-covered edge of the Grants malpais; the air temperatm-e was 

 48° F., water 53° F., at 9:30 p.m. 



In the choruses of S. hammondi, most vocal males swam or floated 

 in the middle of the pond, but several called from shallow water or 

 shore. S. homhijrons and S. intermontanus were not taken in breeding 

 aggregations. They may breed earlier in the season here as S. 

 intermontanus does in Utah (Blair, 1956). This could explain the 

 shore-caUing station of S. hammondi in view of its apparent preference 

 for a swimming-floating position when in reproductive sympatry 

 with other spadefoots (Gehlbach, 1956, p. 365; McAlister, 1959). 



The larvae of S. hammondi commonly occurred with tadpoles of 

 Hyla arenicolor and Bufo woodhousei in the riparian association of the 

 Roughlands Life Belt. They were found only with Bufo punctatus 

 in choUa-juniper grassland and without anuran associates in the 

 short-grass association. On July 3, 1959, cannibalistic larvae of 

 S. hammondi with hyper trophied jaw muscles and beaked upper 

 mandibles were coUected at 7700 feet in pinyon-juniper-ponderosa 

 ecotone. They were located with typical larvae in a rainpool four 

 inches deep and two by six feet in outside dimensions. The water 

 temperature was 75° F., air 83° F., at 11:20 a.m. A smgle dip net 

 sample held 15 cannibalistic (6-13, x 10.9 mm. body length) and 

 6 typical (16-18, x 17.4 mm.) specimens, the former with hindlimb 

 buds, the latter with larger hindlimbs and toes. Seven recently 

 transformed Scaphiopus species, taken at 6900 feet, September 1925, 

 by Neil M. Judd, measure 16-22 (x 18.6) mm. snout-vent. 



Locality records: 



S. hammondi.— ucKiNLKY co.: 6 mi. S. Thoreau (CU 6309; UMMZ 120300); 

 8 mi. S. Thoreau (CU 6476; UMMZ 120308); Thoreau (USNM 70412-21;; 

 16 mi. S. Gallup (CU 6231) ; Valencia cc: 15 mi. E. Grants (KUMNH 14547-66, 

 14569-72); 11.5 mi. SSE. Grants (CU 5775); El Morro Nat. Mon. (KUMNH 

 14538-46, 17271-8). S. bombifrons.—ucKiNhEY CO.: 16 mi. S. Gallup (CU 6310); 

 VALENCIA CO.: Grants (KUMNH 14568); El Morro Nat. Mon. (KUMNH 

 17222-3). S. iiitermontanus.— VALENCIA CO.: 2 mi. W. El Morro Nat. Mou. 

 (CU 6308). 



Bufo punctatus Baird 



This red-spotted toad is known from only two localities in the Zuni 

 region. It apparently does not breed above 6800 feet, for intensive 

 search has not revealed its presence in numerous anuran choruses in 

 or above the pinyon-juniper association. Thus, it is somewhat 

 ecologically separated from Bufo woodhousei, which is most abundant 

 above 7000 feet (fig. 3). B. punctatus may be common in the choUa- 



